Kolaportið Market
Weekend flea market of secondhand goods, records, and stalls selling fermented shark and dried fish.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Kolaportid Market in Reykjavik opens at the fish stall near the harbour end, where a toothpick holds a bite of fermented Greenland shark alongside a shot of brennivin. It explains why the fish is dangerous fresh off the boat, and follows the months-long process Icelanders devised to make it safe to eat. You'll also hear about the market's own weekend ritual, running since nineteen eighty-nine, and its recent brush with eviction from the old Customs House. Pinch your nose before you take the shark, the way everyone at that counter still does.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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